India e visa vs multientry visa

On Constellation now. 1800 of us bought the multientry visa the rest evisa or no visa.

No one was refused boarding and those with evisas were allowed in every port.

In Goa 5 desks were set up just off the ship for those with evisas.

At no extra cost they had their visas processed.

Jen

Also we had no meet and mingle for our roll call on this cruise as they said only 10 signed up

Wish celeb would make their minds up over indian visas we are on connie on 19 dec and have at some expense obtained the multi entry visas it is a little galling to find we may not have bothered, however we do tend to take better safe than sorry approach.

Happy cruising.

It really is not Celebrity's call what kind of visa each passenger needs. Each country has its own agreements with each other country -- what works for someone from Jamaica may not work for someone from Japan.

On Constellation now. 1800 of us bought the multientry visa the rest evisa or no visa.

No one was refused boarding and those with evisas were allowed in every port.

In Goa 5 desks were set up just off the ship for those with evisas.

At no extra cost they had their visas processed.

 

Jen

Also we had no meet and mingle for our roll call on this cruise as they said only 10 signed up

Thank you soooo much for the update Jen. I've had 2 sleepless nights regarding my eVisa to India and even worse is the look of disappointment on my daughter's faces when I told them that we might not be able to board the ship on January 2. I'm from Australia and when I first contacted celebrity Regarding Indian visa, I was told (as per their terms and conditions) "check the applicable passport and visa requirements (including multi-entry visa requirements and for additional visa photos) with the embassies of the countries you will be visiting during your cruise, or check the up-to-date position with your travel agent in good time before departure"..

So, under the advice of the Indian Government, eVisa is accepted in Goa seaport, (with an Autralian passport). And since I have an e-visa, under the general terms and conditions of Celebrity, i would expect to be able to board the cruise.

But then I got an email yesterday, saying that I may be denied boarding without traditional visa for which I have absolutely no time to get as I leave Australia soon for a short pre-cruise holidays. And I couldn't take the risk of NOT having our passports back before our flight in 2 days. We were just going to turn up at Abu Dhabi and take our chances... And hopefully it doesn't end up in years esp for my 2 daughters!!!!

On Constellation now. 1800 of us bought the multientry visa the rest evisa or no visa.

No one was refused boarding and those with evisas were allowed in every port.

In Goa 5 desks were set up just off the ship for those with evisas.

At no extra cost they had their visas processed.

 

Jen

Also we had no meet and mingle for our roll call on this cruise as they said only 10 signed up

Thank you!!!!!!! :D

On Constellation now. 1800 of us bought the multientry visa the rest evisa or no visa.

No one was refused boarding and those with evisas were allowed in every port.

In Goa 5 desks were set up just off the ship for those with evisas.

At no extra cost they had their visas processed.

 

Jen

Also we had no meet and mingle for our roll call on this cruise as they said only 10 signed up

Whilst the above is correct, there is no guarantee that particular operation in Goa will happen every time in the future.

Pax without full visas were advised not to book tours departing until after 1030 at the earliest, some with private tours ended up with much shorter tours than booked (or possibly no tour at all).

If higher numbers turn up without full visas who knows what will happen.

My TA in the UK received an urgent message from Celebrity whilst we were on ship to say that all pax on future sailings (19/12 onwards) require full visas, presumably all UK TAs got the same message, needless to say my TA had no problems as they had highlighted this requirement a long time back in their booking process.

I sincerely hope those without full tourist visas don't have their holiday spoiled at the outset.

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Remember also that the first Indian port for many of the Constellation cruises is Mumbai where procedures may vary, Always best to have the multi-entry visa.

Per our India tour guide:

"In mumbai there is nearly 10 counters for Evisa , so I am happy they can get biometric quick and it take only 3 minuets per person".

From what I have read, though, the evisa is only good for 2 entries into India. Our cruise has 3 ports.

Per our India tour guide:

 

"In mumbai there is nearly 10 counters for Evisa , so I am happy they can get biometric quick and it take only 3 minuets per person".

From what I have read, though, the evisa is only good for 2 entries into India. Our cruise has 3 ports.

I am happy to see that there are reports of booths for the e-visa at Mumbai sea port.

Previously, the India e-visa was only good for entry at Mormugao, New Mangalore and Cochin.

The report of e-visas booths at Mumbai sea port falls in line with a press release on the India Government website stating there are now five sea ports for entry with an e-visa (Still only good for double entry though) and a simplified immigration clearance procedure for cruise passengers with e-visas.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=175113

Hi... We're now back from the cruise, and it was FANTASTIC!!!

At check in, we had a super friendly person, and after we got all our ship cards, he just took us to the documentation officer, who said we had the wrong type of visa, took down our room number, told us we needed to clear immigration at GOA Port, then allowed us to board.

Main difference is that passengers on traditional/stamped Indian visa had their passports/immigration processed onboard (during sea day), 2 days before arriving in GOA, and apparently, it only took 5 minutes. But they needed another stamp when they got to the port (and maybe waited 20 minutes in line). This was the case for about 2,000 passengers.

Indian eVisa could NOT be processed on board, and we needed to get off the ship, where the Indian immigration were set up on the port. We were the 2nd group to get processed and took about 30-45 minutes. Their process on port could be done much quicker. Once we got processed in GOA, other ports of call in India (Mumbai, Cochin) are completely fine, as they are now considered domestic travel.

So it was definitely no hassle for us to get onboard, and tour India on eVisa. About 200 passengers have eVisa and 2,000 passengers have stamped Visa. I'm not sure if cruise ships will or will not allow Indian eVisa in the future, because if more than 10% of passengers have eVisas, I don't think port immigration officers in GOA can handle it. I can see long long long delays for processing of eVisa in the port if more passengers have EVisas. 200 passengers on EVisa took 30 minutes to 3 hours.. Imagine 2,200 passengers!!! It could take all day and more!!!!! This would surely lead to shore excursion delays or even cancellations!! And ships DON'T like that!!!

All in all, our Indian eVisa was no problems for us and we had an AMAZING cruise!!!!! It's our 8th cruise, and my kids said it was the BEST cruise ever (but I think it's because they made great friends at the kids club, rather than the ports of call)!!! They would have been happy to stay on the ship with their new friends rather than tour India!!!!

Hi... We're now back from the cruise, and it was FANTASTIC!!!

At check in, we had a super friendly person, and after we got all our ship cards, he just took us to the documentation officer, who said we had the wrong type of visa, took down our room number, told us we needed to clear immigration at GOA Port, then allowed us to board.

 

Main difference is that passengers on traditional/stamped Indian visa had their passports/immigration processed onboard (during sea day), 2 days before arriving in GOA, and apparently, it only took 5 minutes. But they needed another stamp when they got to the port (and maybe waited 20 minutes in line). This was the case for about 2,000 passengers.

 

Indian eVisa could NOT be processed on board, and we needed to get off the ship, where the Indian immigration were set up on the port. We were the 2nd group to get processed and took about 30-45 minutes. Their process on port could be done much quicker. Once we got processed in GOA, other ports of call in India (Mumbai, Cochin) are completely fine, as they are now considered domestic travel.

 

So it was definitely no hassle for us to get onboard, and tour India on eVisa. About 200 passengers have eVisa and 2,000 passengers have stamped Visa. I'm not sure if cruise ships will or will not allow Indian eVisa in the future, because if more than 10% of passengers have eVisas, I don't think port immigration officers in GOA can handle it. I can see long long long delays for processing of eVisa in the port if more passengers have EVisas. 200 passengers on EVisa took 30 minutes to 3 hours.. Imagine 2,200 passengers!!! It could take all day and more!!!!! This would surely lead to shore excursion delays or even cancellations!! And ships DON'T like that!!!

 

All in all, our Indian eVisa was no problems for us and we had an AMAZING cruise!!!!! It's our 8th cruise, and my kids said it was the BEST cruise ever (but I think it's because they made great friends at the kids club, rather than the ports of call)!!! They would have been happy to stay on the ship with their new friends rather than tour India!!!!

Really pleased to hear you had a fantastic time and equally pleased to hear there were no issues with the e-visa.

Were biometrics taken? The latest information says as of Dec 31st 2017 cruise tourists arriving with e-visa are exempted from the requirement for biometrics.

I see you visited GOA Mumbai and Cochin on the e-visa? Were all three ports classed as a single entry?

Hi.. The only thing that happened at GOA port for immigration is that we had a face to face meeting, they stamped our passports and they took our photos.

I would presume GOA/Mumbai/Cochin is considered single entry, since we didn't need to do anymore immigration stuff in other ports. We only needed to show our shore passes and a copy of our passports. Once we were cleared by immigration in GOA, all other India ports are smooth sailing.

Beware though that only 3 sea ports are ok with eVisa.. GOA, Cochin and Mangalore. Mumbai is NOT YET a recognised port for eVisa, so you need to be cleared from the other 3 seaports first, otherwise you will need a traditional eVisa if Mumbai is your first port of call in India.

Doc Mom, thanks very much for the update, particularly the part regarding numbers of pax with evisa and the potential up to 3 hours wait to clear immigration with ONLY 10% of the ships passenger capacity needing special clearance.

If every pax turns up with evisa, as it stands some would not be processed before the ship sailed.

That is why cruise lines with multiple port calls may still insist pax have full tourist visas.

As ever we are bound by the conditions we sign up to when booking, to fail to comply leaves you open to being refused embarkation at the start of your cruise.

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Thanks for the update.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

I would presume GOA/Mumbai/Cochin is considered single entry, since we didn't need to do anymore immigration stuff in other ports. We only needed to show our shore passes and a copy of our passports. Once we were cleared by immigration in GOA, all other India ports are smooth sailing.

That would fall into line with the information given to us by Visa Central... cruising into multiple ports of call consecutively is classed as one entry.

The fact that you visited three ports of call in India on the e-visa suggests this information is correct.

Beware though that only 3 sea ports are ok with eVisa.. GOA, Cochin and Mangalore. Mumbai is NOT YET a recognised port for eVisa, so you need to be cleared from the other 3 seaports first, otherwise you will need a traditional eVisa if Mumbai is your first port of call in India.

There are now five (5) designated seaports for entry Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai and Chennai.

The official India e-visa website has been updated to reflect this.

If every pax turns up with evisa, as it stands some would not be processed before the ship sailed.

The Indian Government says it expects cruise passengers to turn up on an e-visa so it is the Indian Government who will need to sort this out.

As ever we are bound by the conditions we sign up to when booking, to fail to comply leaves you open to being refused embarkation at the start of your cruise.

We certainly are, however, in the case of Celebrity and Royal Caribbean if you call for clarification they will refer you to their trusted and preferred visa service for the latest visa information, Visa Central.

UK 0207-620 6990

AU 1300 979 012

US 800-858-8579

CA 866-394-9726

Just received this from Celebrity today, unfortunately too late as I paid for full visa yesterday.

About your upcoming travels Dear Guest,

The Indian Government has just announced a change in its visa policies, and they will now accept a tourist visa or eVisa. This recent change in their policy will greatly expedite the clearance process for us when we arrive in India.

If you’ve already applied for a Sticker Visa, no further action is required. However, if you haven’t obtained an India visa yet, getting your visa online is easy and convenient. All you have to do is go to IndiaVisaOnline.gov and follow the step-by-step instructions.

You can also contact your choice of visa specialist to get the required documents for India, or you can use our recommended visa agent by visiting VisaCentral.com, by calling 800-579-2406 (use account code 44989), or by emailing celebrity@visacentral.com.

We look forward to welcoming you on board Celebrity Constellation® and providing you an unforgettable vacation.

Sincerely,

Celebrity Cruises

Well, coming from the horse's mouth that's got to be acceptable as any problems will now be firmly in Celebrity's court.

Just a shame it's taken so long to sort out.

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Thanks for the update JBare.

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I just received that e-mail too. Not Celebrity's fault but I am so frustrated that I had to go through all the hassle and expense of a Visa when there is now no need. Marvellous, think I'll stick to Europe and The Caribbean from now on, far easier.

The Indian Government has been accepting the E-visa for entry via sea at GOA, Cochin or Bangalore seaports since APRIL 2017.

If any of those ports were your first port of call on a cruise the e-visa was perfectly acceptable.

Celebrity insisted on a full visa for their benefit not ours. Any blame lies firmly at the feet of Celebrity.

The only 'change' that has been announced is the expansion to five seaports for entry and the exemption from biometrics for cruise passengers for the next three years to reduce delays at first port of call.

All the information is out there, you just have to search for it.

First port of call in my case on Constellation is Mumbai.

The only "change" as you put it is in fact two highly significant changes, the second of which has solved the very problem which has been causing the cruise lines, and crucially their passengers, serious delays in clearance at first port of entry, hence the insistence on full tourist visa. You did read Doc Mom's report of how long it took to clear just 200 passengers?

In fact any blame lies with the Indian Immigration authorities for not recognising the problem and the potential effect on their tourism industry far sooner.

Whether you search for information "out there" is immaterial, as I've said before we have to comply with the cruise lines wishes, to suggest or imply otherwise is foolish.

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I have posted accurate information on this and other threads, which has now been proven and verified.

It is pointless berating the messenger.

What each individual chooses do with that information is up to the individual concerned.

Visa Central (Celebrity's preferred and trusted visa professionals) are there to answer all of your queries.

Time taken to clear any immigration is a chance one takes.

I have visited the US many times in the last seventeen years, the fastest time to clear immigration was one and a half hours, the longest was four hours.

On Constellation now. 1800 of us bought the multientry visa the rest evisa or no visa.

 

No one was refused boarding and those with evisas were allowed in every port.

 

In Goa 5 desks were set up just off the ship for those with evisas.

 

At no extra cost they had their visas processed.

 

 

 

Jen

 

Also we had no meet and mingle for our roll call on this cruise as they said only 10 signed up

We cancelled our cruise on the constellation because of the visa issues [emoji30][emoji30]

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Thank you soooo much for the update Jen. I've had 2 sleepless nights regarding my eVisa to India and even worse is the look of disappointment on my daughter's faces when I told them that we might not be able to board the ship on January 2. I'm from Australia and when I first contacted celebrity Regarding Indian visa, I was told (as per their terms and conditions) "check the applicable passport and visa requirements (including multi-entry visa requirements and for additional visa photos) with the embassies of the countries you will be visiting during your cruise, or check the up-to-date position with your travel agent in good time before departure"..

 

 

 

So, under the advice of the Indian Government, eVisa is accepted in Goa seaport, (with an Autralian passport). And since I have an e-visa, under the general terms and conditions of Celebrity, i would expect to be able to board the cruise.

 

 

But then I got an email yesterday, saying that I may be denied boarding without traditional visa for which I have absolutely no time to get as I leave Australia soon for a short pre-cruise holidays. And I couldn't take the risk of NOT having our passports back before our flight in 2 days. We were just going to turn up at Abu Dhabi and take our chances... And hopefully it doesn't end up in years esp for my 2 daughters!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can I just ask you to confirm how many ports you visited? I have three and celebrity have said an evisa is fine but I am just a little concerned as apparently two is the max on an evisa.

Thanks.

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